Behind The Panels ends Volume 1 of the show with Issue 150

After almost four years and 150 episodes, our comic book show BEHIND THE PANELS will bring the first volume of the podcast to a close with Issue #150, “Before, During and After Watchmen”, recorded live at Good Games Hurstville on  Saturday 1 August 2015.

It has been a hell of a run so far, but all good things must come to an end. Or at least go on hiatus. A couple of exciting projects that the boys are working on – including a book, a business and a film – have converged, and like the comic book classics we have decided to put the show on hold until some of those projects are under control. What better way to end our first volume than with a live show with cosplay, cake and prizes?

The 150th show will be filled with audience participation, a meet-and-greet with the boys and (if all our other live shows are any guide) lots and lots of fun. Cosplayers can win a $50 store voucher and two runners-up will win a $20 voucher for Good Games Hurstville*.

The podcast began in 2011 with host Richard Gray using Skype to phone into Geek Actually Studios to converse with co-host David McVay. The intention of the show, initially kindled by DC’s launch of the New 52 and a mutual love of comics, was to create a comic book version of Film Actually but it rapidly grew into the show that celebrates its 150^th episode in August. Our third host, Dave Longo, joined the show as a guest in February 2013 and as a regular shortly after, solidifying the team for the rest of its initial run. A history of the podcast is chronicled in the Podcast Pillowfort interview “The Secret Origin of BEHIND THE PANELS.”

We want to thank our superstar guests that we’ve had on the show over the years. We barely believed it when we interviewed X-Men legend Chris Claremont not just once but twice in 2013. Jeff Lemire, Kelly Sue DeConnick, JP Kalonji, and Larime Taylor all took time out of their busy schedules across the world to call into the show for interviews. We’ve had local legends  Nicola Scott and Tom Taylor on multiple times, along with Paul Bedford (The List), Andrew Constant (Broken Line), Carl and Patrick Purcell (Winter City), and Louie Joyce (Footsteps).  Meri Amber was our first ever musical guest. Nicola Scott, Freddie E. Williams II and the magical Ryan K. Lindsay joined us for our first ever live shows in September 2014 at Oz Comic-Con, and they remain some of the proudest moments of our run. Richard also had the distinct pleasure of meeting one of his heroes in Green Arrow writer and artist Mike Grell in a trip to Seattle this year. He is still talking about it.

Speaking of comic conventions, we first met John Dee and John Hammond at ‘cons, and they not only joined us on the show (and eventually the network with their Nerd Corner podcast), but we’re proud to call them our good friends as well.  Speaking of friends, earlier this year we began an association with the dead-set legend  Jaime Lawrence at Good Games Hurstville, who not only gave us a venue for several live shows but supported us through sponsorship and sheer enthusiasm. Our thanks go out to you, Mr. Lawrence.

We also want to thank everybody who has supported us, downloaded us, shared us, liked us, followed us, turned up to a live show, sent us feedback or visited the site. You are the reason we lasted so long, and you are the reason that we will never let this completely fade away.  You know who you are.

For those who can’t make it to the live show, it will of course be available to listeners on the website, iTunes, Stitcher or wherever you source your podcast material. As a bonus for the audio listeners, make sure you stay to the very end of the show for a special “post-credits” teaser of possible things to come.

This is not the end

You can also hear some of the crew regularly on the Geek Actually network via the All-New Geek Actually Show and Podcast Pillowfort. PLUS you won’t want to miss some of our upcoming one-shot specials, including the live shows at Sydney Oz Comic-Con this year with special guest Ryan K. Lindsay (26 September 2015), and a special appearance at the Comic Con-Versation on 3 October 2015 in Ashfield. We’ve also got a couple of very special projects coming up for you, so stay tuned! Plus there’s the little matter of VOLUME 2…

Until then, we’re Richard Gray, David McVay and Dave Longo. And this is, has and always will be, BEHIND THE PANELS.